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A mysterious and apparently malevolent clown has been seen
lurking on the streets of Staten Island, N.Y., at night over the
past week.

You don't need to travel to Staten Island to be creeped out by
this clown; thanks to Facebook and Instagram, anyone in the world
can get the shivers from photos
of the white-faced monster.

These social media sites are where four people first posted
snapshots of the clown over the past few days. In one widely
circulated photo, the balloon-bearing, bald-capped buffoon is
standing near a road detour sign near the Richmond Valley train
station, waving at passersby; in another, he (or perhaps she) is
skulking behind a tree. [ What
Really Scares People: Top 10 Phobias ]

The "SI Clown," as the costumed creature has been dubbed, bears a
striking resemblance to Pennywise, the evil clown in Stephen
King's classic
horror novel and film "It."

This is not the first time that a clown has been spotted in
public and has unnerved locals. Last year, a mysterious clown was
sighted prowling the streets of Northampton, U.K., causing both
curiosity and concern. The face-painted fiend — widely dubbed
The Northampton Clown — was first sighted in early September,
and soon had his own Facebook page, where followers posted
photographs of him at different locations throughout the city. It
turned out to be a viral prank.

When such clowns are seen, there is little the police can do; it
is not illegal to dress up as a clown and wander the streets at
night. Unless the clown is loitering, causing mischief, harassing
people or otherwise being a nuisance, there's nothing anyone can
do.

Why would a person dress as a clown and freak people out? There
are several possible reasons, ranging from a playful prank to a
professional clown innocently returning from a kid's birthday
party. Yet, according to the New York Post, the SI Clown may be a
publicity stunt: It seems that the four people who originally
posted photos and videos of the costumed creepster not only know
one another, but also have links to the same Staten Island-based
company that produces horror films. Coincidence? Could be.

But given how many people are scared of clowns, and the near
certainty that images of anonymous, creepy clowns will go viral
on social media sites, the SI Clown is likely a savvy publicity
stunt. So far, the film company has not officially confirmed or
denied being associated with the prank. However, it did say, via
Twitter, "Kinda insulted by all these #SIClown
accusations...we're not just a 'horror film company.' We're funny
too...I swear)".

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of "Skeptical Inquirer"
science magazine and author of seven books, including "The
Martians Have Landed! A History of Media Panics and Hoaxes." His
website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.